Regular measuring tapes similar to Leverlock Tape manufactured by “Stanley Bostitch” and demonstrated at http://www.stanleybostitch.com/ site, are operating manually. Such tapes are presently available for all types of consumers and for all types of measurements excluding measuring the distance between multiple points in space. Similar manual measuring tapes have been introduced to consumers, which claim to eliminate misreading the measurement by digitally displaying the measurement on LCD readout. Some of these measuring tapes are equipped with push buttons to change the measuring unit from inches to centimeters or some other desirable units. All these prior art-measuring devices are manually operated; they are heavy, unreliable, and cumbersome to use.
Some other prior art distance-measuring devices do not require folded tape to measure distance. They use ultrasonic radar similar to those available at Aubuchon Hardware and demonstrated at http://tools.aubuchonhardware.com/ site. However, these devices have low resolution, since it is hard to aim sound waves including those assisting laser beams to illuminate a target area in order to aid in attaining accuracy and they are only applicable to single point distance measurement.
Laser optical scanners have also been used as measuring tools. Such scanners include those that are manufactured by Pacific Laser Systems and are demonstrated at http://www.plslaser.com/ site (See Model PLS2). However, these devices are mainly for measuring surface alignment and they are not typically produced as portable handheld tools, or if they are, they are very expensive. There are three other drawbacks for these systems: (1) the scan engine is likely to be a rotating mirror, which is bulky, heavy, and unreliable; (2) such systems cannot measure angles and therefore, cannot measure the distance between two arbitrary points in space; (3) such systems are hybridized and scanning is not controllable and therefore, they are not compatible with smart sensors and wireless systems.